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Shell on Thursday opened its new integrated lubricants and grease production facility in Tuas, Singapore.

At 10 hectares, the site size is equivalent to almost 25 football pitches. It is Shell's third-largest lubricants plant in the world and the second-largest in the Asia-Pacific region.

The new plant, which is capable of producing up to 390,000 tonnes (430 million litres) of lubricants and greases every year, is to be used as a production hub for products that will be shipped to more than 40 countries, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region.

It will produce a range of Shell-branded lubricants, including the company's two-stroke marine engine oil, Shell Alexia.

Speaking at the launch, Huibert Vigeveno, Shell Global Commercial, Executive Vice President (including Shell Lubricants) said: "This state-of-the-art, highly automated facility in Singapore was built to support our business ambitions here in the APAC region. It serves as a strategic production hub, and will be the centrepiece of our lubricants supply chain network to reliably supply our world-class lubricants to millions of customers in the region. Asia represents over 40 percent of the world's lubricants demand, and is home to half of the world's largest lubricants markets.

"This facility will also further strengthen our marine lubricant business's presence here in Singapore, the world's second-busiest port."

Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, commented: "We are heartened by Shell's commitment to improving productivity through the adoption of innovative technologies, which is aligned with the strategies of the [Singapore government's] Energy and Chemicals Industry Transformation Map. With a 50 percent increase in capacity and six-fold improvement in productivity over its previous plant, the new plant will be yet another great showcase of an advanced manufacturing facility that provides Singaporeans with good jobs."